Chapter 21: The First Chain Breaks The temple was silent again, but Kael knew better. Nothing had changed, not really. The carvings were still lifeless, the corpse motionless, and yet… something was different. Inside him, the sigil no longer burned with pain. It pulsed with power. And that power was awake. Malek was still watching him, his expression unreadable. “Alright,” the old man finally said. “Let’s start with the obvious. What the hell just happened?” Kael exhaled, rolling his shoulders. “I saw something.” Malek’s eyes narrowed. “The Abyss?” Kael nodded. “Or something inside it.” He didn’t tell Malek everything. Not yet. The gate, the chains, the figure that spoke in riddles—he needed to understand it first before he could explain. Malek sighed, rubbing his temple. “Great. Just great. And let me guess, this thing gave you some cryptic nonsense about fate and doom?” Kael smirked. “More or less.” Malek groaned. “Why can’t eldritch horrors just speak plainl

Chapter 23: The Abyss Stares BackKael held his ground, eyes locked on the shadow of himself seated upon the throne. It wasn’t an illusion. It wasn’t a trick. This was real. The sigil on his chest burned—not in pain, but in recognition. Malek took a step back, gripping his staff. “Well, this is new.” The shadow-Kael smirked. “Is it?” His voice was smooth, confident—too familiar. “You knew this moment was coming.” Kael didn’t blink. “You talk as if you know me.” The reflection tilted his head. “I am you.” Kael exhaled, rolling his shoulders. “I doubt that.” The figure chuckled. “Not yet, no.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “But you’re getting closer.” Kael clenched his fists. The pressure in the room had shifted—thickening. It wasn’t fear. It was something deeper, something more instinctual. This thing in front of him… It wasn’t just a vision. It was watching. Studying. Waiting. “Why am I here?” Kael asked, his voice steady. The refl

Chapter 25: The City That Remembers The ruins of Vareth were no longer just remnants of the past. They were watching. Kael felt it in the way the air shifted around him, in the faint whispers that came and went like dying embers. The city was stirring—not in some unnatural, abyssal way, but in a way that felt old. Like something long forgotten had just remembered his name. Malek exhaled sharply. “I don’t like this.” Kael smirked. “You don’t like most things.” Malek shot him a look. “Yeah, well, things that whisper in a dead language and call you by name are pretty high on the list.” Kael chuckled, but his focus remained locked on the obelisk at the center of the ruins. **It had recognized him. That much was clear. But why? His fingers brushed the ancient carvings once more. The moment his skin touched the stone— The whispers grew louder. Not chaotic. Not overwhelming. Just one, singular voice. "You are late." Kael’s breath stilled. This wasn’t the Abyss.

Chapter 27: The Abyss Calls The ruins of Vareth were silent once more. Kael stood amidst the remnants of the battle, his breath steady, the power inside him humming like a living thing. The sigil on his chest was no longer just a mark—it pulsed, expanded, as if it had grown. Something had changed. He could feel it in the air, in his own movements. The Abyss no longer felt like an external force pressing against him. It felt like it was part of him. Malek watched him warily. “Alright. We’re alive. You won. Now tell me—what in the hells was that?” Kael flexed his fingers, feeling the energy still coursing through his veins. “Power.” Malek scowled. “Yeah, no kidding. But I meant where did that come from?” Kael didn’t answer immediately. Because the truth was, he didn’t know. Not fully. The sigil had reacted in the fight. It had released something—unlocked something. But instead of overwhelming him like before, it had felt… natural. Like breathing. Kael exhaled.

Chapter 29: The Abyssal Trial Kael fell.The sensation was unlike anything he had experienced before. The world didn’t blur. It didn’t rush past him. It simply… ceased to exist. There was no air. No gravity. Just an endless descent into darkness. But he wasn’t afraid. Because for the first time— The Abyss wasn’t rejecting him. It was welcoming him. Then— Impact. Kael landed on solid ground, feet planting firmly, body unshaken. The darkness around him shifted, swirling like liquid smoke, stretching endlessly in every direction. He wasn’t alone. Malek landed beside him with a sharp grunt, dusting himself off. “I am really starting to hate falling into eldritch nightmares.” Kael smirked. “Then you’re going to love what comes next.” A sound echoed through the abyss. A low, resonating pulse that didn’t come from any direction—it came from everywhere. Then, hey appeared. The Watchers. Hooded figures materialized from the shadows, standing in a perfect circle